The Role of Reintroduction in Gibbon Conservation: Opportunities and Challenges

Introduction

Gibbon populations have been declining dramatically for the past 30–40 years, primarily due to habitat destruction and fragmentation through timber felling, charcoal burning, encroachment cultivation, and general bush burning for hunting (Bodmer et al. 1991) or conversion to rubber plantations (Haimoff et al. 1987), tea and pine plantations (Nijman and van Balen 1998), and recently oil palm plantations (Curran et al. 2004). Other factors contributing to their decline include the illegal wildlife trade, the use of body parts in the manufacture of traditional medicines, and hunting for food. The majority of gibbons found in rescue and rehabilitation centers come from the illegal pet trade, though many are also rescued from plantations as forests are cut down.

Gibbons in the illegal pet trade are almost always born in the wild, and infant gibbons can fetch from US $10–100 on the black market (ProFauna Indonesia, pers. comm.). This represents a great deal of money for the...

Notes

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Susan Lappan and Danielle Whittaker for the invitation to contribute to this book. Mark Harrison, Raffaella Commitante, Claire Thompson and Chanee provided much appreciated criticism to earlier drafts of this manuscript. I am indebted to Chanee (Aurelién Brulé: Director of the Kalaweit Gibbon and Siamang Rehabilitation Project) and all the Kalaweit staff for their invaluable assistance and support which made this work possible. I would like to dedicate this chapter to the memory of Buchoz (Adi). He was a loyal and supportive friend and worked tirelessly for conservation in Indonesia. He was taken from us before his time and will be missed by everyone who knew and worked with him.

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